First qualifying session ever for Formula 2 on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit. Drivers pushed their limits to try and take first position, but a pleasant surprise saw a Trident on pole position.
Under the Canada’ sun, engines began to roar with a little delay. Most of the drivers were on supersoft tyres, with most of them doing one out lap and two laps to make their tyres in temperature. However, Ritomo Miyata began his push lap in first in a 1:24.159 time. Drivers quickly made better time, with Gabriele Minì leading the pack in a 1:22.615. Rafael Câmara took second place only 0.005 seconds behind. Alexander Dunne had a massive snap after the starting line, almost spinning, and had to abort his first attempt. Nicolas Varrone took first position in a 1:22.078, almost 0.3 seconds in front of the second place. Joshua Dürksen almost went to kiss the Wall of Champions.
Flirting with the limits
On their second push lap, drivers started to struggle a bit with their tyres as they hardly improved their times. Rafael Villagómez went into the grass after failing to break on Turn 8, but he managed to regain the track. With 15 minutes remaining on the clock, it was time for all drivers to go back into the pit and change their tyres. Only Montoya and Boya remained in the pits with 9 minutes on the clock. Oliver Goethe had a massive snap on Turn 4, touching the wall and breaking his rear suspension. He managed to take his car out of the track, but race control decided to call for a red flag.
Once the green flag was waved again, only 8 minutes remained on the clock. Drivers didn’t have the time to make their second attempt that Tasanapol Inthrapuvasak took the curb a bit too much on Turn 3 and finished his lap into the wall, thankfully without too much damage. Rafael Câmara also touched the wall on Turn 4, and even though he managed to keep his car on track, with the second red flag, his mechanics took a look at his suspension. Noel Leon is the first driver to go back on track and begin his push lap. Nikola Tsolov was far on the first sector but was purple on the second one. He took first place in a 1:21.789. Martinius Stenshorne quickly took first place with a 1:21.744. His teammate also improved to take first place away on a 1:21.709. While Tsolov and Dürksen failed to improve their time, Laurens Van Hoepen was gaining time. Then, out of nowhere, and for the first time in his Formula 2 career, Laurens Van Hoepen and his Trident created the surprise by taking pole position, on a 1:21.422, 0.267 in front of Rafael Câmara.